The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Charles Magnus, 1826-1900

Title: Collection

Dates: ca.1850-1890

Call No.: Col. 123

Acc. No.: [various – see detailed description]

Quantity: 2 boxes

Location: 18 H 1 and 2

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Charles Magnus was a print publisher, map dealer, bookseller and stationer working in New York City from 1850 to 1899 who issued over a thousand different lettersheets, maps, songsheets, envelopes, and separate prints. His best known works were city views and Civil War related material. Much of his work was copied from other printmakers. He often altered or combined design elements from several sources, rarely crediting the original artist. Many of his works after 1865 were based on photographs, which he often altered, drawing in figures or re-drawing lines for clearer reproduction.

Magnus was born Julian Carl Magnus in Elberfeld, Germany, and emigrated with his family to New York City between 1848 and 1850. He worked with his older brother Carl Emil, the publisher of the German language weekly Deutsche Schnellpost, in the early 1850s, learning the printing business.

His early work includes pictorial lettersheets illustrated with city views or newsworthy events such as railroad and ship disasters. The images were used repeatedly, with additions of new buildings, bridges, etc., drawn in to keep the picture current. During the 1850s he also printed and published lithographed maps, often incorporating city views and decorations similar to those in the lettersheets.

During the Civil War, Magnus produced around 700 patriotic envelopes and over 300 illustrated songsheets. He used images of allegorical figures, battle scenes, political cartoons, portraits and state emblems, frequently using the same images in different combinations.

After the War, he expanded his work to include prints, games, reward of merit cards, and advertising and custom printing. Throughout his career, he relied on similar images and techniques. He continued to use the lithographic process and hand coloring even after most printers had turned to photomechanical processes.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This collection consists of a variety of lithographed letter sheets, envelopes, song sheets, prints, some cards with pictures of Confederate officers, board games (printed on paper thinner than boards, however), and a 1858 circular advertising board games and playing cards available from Magnus & Co. Most of the letter sheets and prints are views of cities, mainly places located in the northeastern part of the United States or the eastern half of Canada, including New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Niagara Falls. Most of the envelopes and song sheets and some of the letter sheets have patriotic themes related to the Civil War. These items are often decorated with state seals, eagles, soldiers, and images of George Washington. Games include "New Game of Snake," "Comical Game of Pigs and Kittens," and "Running the Blockage," a Civil War game. Many of the illustrations are in color; a hand coloring process was used.

ORGANIZATION

The materials are arranged first by type of material and then by accession number within each type. The types of materials are Lithographic prints, Patriotic envelopes, Song sheets, Letter sheets, and Miscellaneous.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

PROVENANCE

Purchased from various sources.

Accession 07x121 purchased from Scott J. Winslow Assoc., Inc.

Accession 08x103 purchased from Eclectibles.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Lithography - Specimens.

Printing - Specimens.

Cities and towns - Pictorial works.

Board games.

Playing cards.

Advertisements – Games.

Washington (D.C.) - Pictorial works.

New York (N.Y.) - Pictorial works.

Philadelphia (Pa.) - Pictorial works.

Louisville (Ky.) - Pictorial works.

Cincinnati (Ohio) - Pictorial works.

Alexandria (Va.) – Pictorial works.

Niagara Falls (N.Y. and Ont.) - Pictorial works.

Ohio - Description and travel.

South Carolina - Description and travel.

United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865 – Art and the war.

United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865 – Maps.

Envelopes (Stationery).

Maps.

Sheet music.

Songs.

Games.

Publishers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 18 H 1 and 2

Box 1:

Lithographic prints:

67x144 “Panorama of Washington”: multiple colored vignettes of Washington, D.C. and portrait of George Washington

[fragile, in several pieces; see also 71x20.1]

68x34 “Brooklyn City Hall”

(color added, decorative border) (see also letter sheets bearing this same image)

68x122 .1 “Birds Eye View of the City of New York with Environs”;

.2 “New York, Brooklyn & Williamsburgh”

(Both color prints with gold border mounted on black paper.)

71x17 Rose of Washington: vignettes of Washington D.C. on both sides of paper, which folds into triangle. Colored roses on outside when folded

71x20 .1-.2 “Panorama of Washington,” with matching pictorial envelope

(same as 67x144, although that does not have envelope)

79x258 .1 “Canada West: Chaudiere Falls,”

.2 “Maryland: Baltimore,”

.3 “Boston,”

.4 “Albany, N.Y.,”

.5 “Buffalo, N.Y.,”

.6 “New York: Saratoga,” showing “Congress Spring,” “head waters of Lake George,” “Saratoga Lake,” and “Saratoga,”

.7 “New York: Syracuse” [black and white copy is also found in letter sheets];

.8 “Troy, N.Y.,”

.9 “Philadelphia,”

.10 “Rhode Island: Providence”

(All are color prints with gold border mounted on black paper.)

95x57.3 “Panorama of San Francisco” [Looking northeast.]

(black and white)

95x57.4 “Maryland: Baltimore” [same as 79x258.2]

(color print with gold border mounted on black paper)

95x57.5 “Maryland: Lunatic Asylum at Spring Grove, Baltimore Co.”

(color print with gold border mounted on black paper)

99x32 .1 ”Canada West: Prescott from Oggdensburgh Harbour”

[for black and white version, see 95x57.1];

.2 “Canada West: Hamilton”

[for black and white version, see 99x32.2];

.3 “Canada West: Toronto”

[black and white view found with letter sheets],

.4 “Canada East: Quebec’”

.5 “Canada West: Kingston, Lake Ontario,”

.6 “Montreal, C.E.,”

.7 “Nova Scotia: Halifax,”

.8 “Canada West: London,”

.9 “Canada West: Ottawa City”

[note: a black and white version of this print is in the Edwin Whitefield papers, Col. 102, as he is supposed to be the artist of this view; another copy of this view is in this collection, acc. 91x82..3, on stationery];

.10 “Niagara Falls, Canadian Side”

[note: acc. 77x610 is a black and white version on a letter sheet]

(All these are color prints with gold borders mounted on black paper.)

02x168 “Virginia: Lunatic Asylum, at Staunton”

(color print with gold border, mounted on faded black paper)

Patriotic Envelopes:

71x15.1-.6 set of state seals of six Confederate states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina) with devil figure above seals and vignette of angel with United States flag (all colored)

71x16.1-10 .1-.8 a Union general (each one different, none of them identified) above a group of soldiers, to the right is a map of the eastern part of the United States (leaving next-to-no room for writing an address);

.9 Maj.Gen Wool and map of Missouri and Illinois;

.10 eagle on shield above a group of soldiers (same group as appeared on the envelopes with the generals)

(all printed in purple)

71x21 .2 envelope with eagle, colored;

.25 allegorical figure of the U.S. Constitution, printed in purple;

.28 allegorical figure with flag and seal of Delaware, printed in purple;

.29 allegorical figure with grain and Smithsonian Institute, printed in purple;

.30 allegorical figure with shield and the White House, printed in purple;

.32 Male Indian, with U.S. flag and seal of Indiana, printed in purple. [see also 95x81.4]

.33 allegorical figure leaning on an anchor, with U.S. flag and ship in background; and seal of West Virginia; printed in purple

71x22 .325 General George B. McClellan with his horse (printed in purple)

.326 unknown officer, with an artilleryman (printed in purple)

.327 unknown officer, with an artilleryman (printed in purple)

.328 unknown officer, with soldiers (printed in purple)

.329 allegorical figure with the U.S. Patent Office (printed in purple)

.330 allegorical figure with an eagle and U.S. flag (printed in color)

.331 allegorical figure with flag and seal of Kentucky (printed in purple)

.332 allegorical figure of the sea (printed in purple)

.333 allegorical figure with flag and seal of Maine (printed in purple)

.334 allegorical figure with flag and seal of Kansas (printed in purple)

.335 Mount Vernon, Tomb of Washington, and U.S. Capitol (printed in purple)

.336 allegorical figure at Ellsworth Memorial (printed in color)

.337 allegorical figure with flag and seal of Maryland (printed in purple)

.338 allegorical figure with U.S. General Post Office (printed in purple)

.339 allegorical figure with Smithsonian Institute (printed in purple)

.340 allegorical figure with grain and Smithsonian Institute (printed in purple)

.341 a church and a public building displaying the U.S. flag (printed in purple)

.342 allegorical figure with U.S. General Post Office (printed in purple) (different figure from .338)

.343 allegorical figure with Treasury building (printed in purple)

.344 allegorical figure with U.S. General Post Office (printed in purple) (different figure from .338 and .342)

71x66.22 envelope front with seal of South Carolina, devil, and angel with American flag (colored; same as 71x15.5)

73x218 Vignettes, mostly relating to George Washington: Mount Vernon, Tomb of Washington, Washington Monument; also Georgetown College, and three women; color added

81x290 .1 view of Boston, with an allegorical female figure, and a motto for Bay State Soldiers

.2 view of New York City, with an eagle on a shield, and a motto for Empire State Patriots

.3 view of New York City, with a train, and a motto for Empire State Soldiers

.4 view of Philadelphia, with a sailor and an artilleryman, and a motto for Key Stone State Soldiers

.5 a view of Rochester, N.Y., with an allegorical female figure and a motto for Empire State Soldiers

.6 view of San Francisco, with an Indian family in a canoe and a motto for Golden State Soldiers

.7 view of the U.S. Capitol

.8 view of the U.S. Capitol, with a picture of George Washington

.9 view of the U.S. Capitol, with an allegorical female figure

.10 view of the U.S. Capitol, with an eagle holding a shield flying over the statue of Freedom that is on top of the Capitol

.11 view of the U.S. House of Representatives in session, with a picture of George Washington crossing the Delaware

.12 view of the U.S. Senate in session, with a picture of the signing of the Declaration of Independence

84x70 envelope with birds eye view of Philadelphia and scene titled "good news from the my soldier boy"; printed in purple

94x054 envelope, the entire front of which depicts a bird’s eye view of U.S. Capitol, no. 1a [sic, is a view of Washington, D.C., not just the Capitol] (colored)

95x57.2 Purple envelope with eagle seal, printed with “U.S. Armies operating against Richmond, Va.,” copyrighted 1865, includes space for the soldier to record his company, regiment, brigade, division, and other information

01x45 Envelope, the entire front of which depicts a ”Bird’s Eye View of Alexandria, Va., No. 1 C.,” showing waterfront, Pioneer Mills, and train, colored

Songsheets:

73x208 "How are you Green-backs?" song text with colored picture of printing press and portrait (unidentified); “music to this song to be had of Wm. A. Pond & Co.”; on lined notepaper

73x209 "Flash Every Sabre Bright," by Robert Johnson, song text with colored view of Richmond, copyrighted 1864; on lined notepaper

73x210 "Welcome, Mother," song text with colored picture of "President's House Washington, D.C."; on lined notepaper

73x211 "Columbia, the Home of the World," song text with colored picture of U.S. Capitol; on lined notepaper

77x450 "Jeff Davis," song text with colored portraits of Gen. John C. Breckenridge and Jefferson Davis and map of Confederacy with devil; on lined notepaper

77x452 "Oh Jeff! Oh Jeff! How are you now?" comic song and chorus by Henry Schroeder, music published by Firth, Son & Co., song text with colored picture of Jefferson Davis in woman's clothes being captured by soldiers; on lined notepaper

78x110 .1 "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! The Prisoner's Hope" song text with colored view of Belle Isle, Richmond Va., “The music of this song can be obtained at the well known Music-Store of Frederick Blume”;

.2 "Her Bright Smiles Haunt Me Still" and “Thy Voice Hath a Charm,” song texts with colored picture of man with columns and mountainous landscape in background [a black and white version is used on the lettersheet 04x83.7; the mountain scenery also appears in 82x242]

Both on lined notepaper.

82x242 "Six Military and Patriotic Illustrated Songs. Elaborately Colored. In a Novel Form. Series No. 1”; song texts with colored illustrations in pamphlet form; ad for other Magnus material on back page (songs, maps, war scenes, views of hospitals and camps, playing cards, letter sheets, rewards of merit cards, etc.).

The songs include “The Union Marseillaise” (with picture of bombardment of Ft. Sumter), “A Yankee Man-of-War” (with picture of sailing ships), “The Army of Liberty” (with picture of George Washington superimposed on map of U.S.), “The Flag of Our Union” (with picture of soldiers, one of whom carries a flag), “Volunteer’s Song” (with picture of soldiers marching), and “Rally Around the Flag Boys” (with picture of an actress carrying a flag, with mountain scenery in background).

95x81 .1 "The Peanut Stand" song text “as sung by L. Simmons, Ethiopian comedian. Air – ‘Joe Bowers’” with picture of vagrant man on a stage, with columns and landscape in background. Dated added: 1861. On lined paper.

.2 "When This Cruel War is Over" song text with picture of woman holding flowers and columns and landscape in background. (Same background as 95x81.1), on heavy card stock

.3 "Nellie of the North" song text “by John Ross Dix. Air: Annie of the Vale,” with picture of woman holding flowers and a sign reading "Map and Song Portfolio." Landscape background. On lined paper.

.4 "A Hundred Years Hence" song text “written and sung by Tony Pastor, with great applause at the American Theatre,” with picture of an Indian holding a Union flag and also picture of the seal of Indiana. On lined paper. [see also 71x21.32]

.5 "A Yankee Man-Of-War." song text with partially colored picture of battle ships in a harbor. On lined paper. [this also appears in booklet, 82x242]

95x106 .1 "The Tired Soldier," song text with colored view of Richmond, on lined paper; date added: 1863.

.2 “Camp Gals," song text with same view of Richmond as above, on lined paper; date added: 1864.

.3 "Willie'll Roam No Moer [sic], Reply to Willie We Have Missed You" song text with that same view of Richmond as above; on lined paper; date added: 1864.

.4 "Mother, Dear, I'm Thinking of You," with same view of Richmond, “copied by permission of Oliver Ditson & Co., … Boston, owners of the copy-right”; on lined paper.

.5 "Willie has Gone to the War," song text, with colored panoramic view of Columbia College and Carver Barracks Hospitals, 2 [see also 04x69.25].

.6 "Old Folks at Home," song text with colored picture of two African American men, one of whom is in 18^th century dress. Both are reading.

[This is the Stephen Foster song also known as “Swanee River”]

98x45 “Mother Would Comfort Me,” song text with colored view of Union Fort on the Petersburg-Weldon Railroad. The back of the sheet is lined. “The music for the song may be obtained at … Sawyer & Thompson, … Brooklyn.” “Ten illustrated songs on notepaper mailed to any address on receipt of 50 cents.”

04x69.26 “General Logan, and the Fifteenth Army Corps,” by Capt. R. W. Burt, 76^th Ohio V. V. I., tune – “The Kingdom am a Comin”

song celebrating the exploits of the 15^th Army Corps, which fought in Mississippi, at Chattanooga, Atlanta, took part in Sherman’s “March to the Sea,” and fought in South and North Carolina, the poem was written in April 1865, but before Lee had surrendered

07x121 .1 “Yankee Volunteer,” song text with view of Camp Chesebrough, Baltimore, Md. (3)

.2 “Yankee Volunteer,” song text; view has labeled the following buildings: Chesapeake Hospital, Mill Creek Hospital, Hon. Mr. Segars hq., “between Fortress Monroe & Hampton, Va., 1”

.3 “Yankee Volunteer,” song sheet with view of Camp of the 5^th Pen. Cavalbry, near Williamsburg, Va.

.4 “Yankee Volunteer,” song sheet with view of Belger Barracks, Baltimore, Md. (1)

.5 “Yankee Volunteer,” song sheet with view of Camp Chesebrough, Baltimore, Md. (2)

.6 “Yankee Volunteer,” song sheet with view of Chesapeake Hospital 1 and McClellan Hospital, between Fortress Monroe & Hampton, Va. 2

.7 “Yankee Volunteer,” song sheet with view of Camp Chesebrough, Baltimore, Md. (1)

.8 “Yankee Volunteer,” song sheet with view of Belger Barracks, Baltimore, Md. (3)

.9 “Unfurl the Glorious Banner,” with colored illustrations, one of a soldier and sailor standing under U.S. flag with the motto “The Union Now and Forever”; the other a seal or coat of arms for Massachusetts; back of sheet is lined

.10 “How Sheridan Whipped Longstreet,” October 19, 1864, air: Jeannette and Jeannot, but John Ross Dix; with colored illustrations: Indian standing under U.S. flag with motto “For the Union,” and the other a seal for Indiana

.11 “Traitor, Spare that Flag,” by the Rev. J. P. Lundy, air: “Woodman Spare that Tree,” with colored illustrations: Indian and woman under a U.S. flag with motto “The Union Now and Forever,” and a rural scene with motto “Freedom and Unity”; back of sheet is lined

.12 “Traitor, Spare that Flag,” by the Rev. J. P. Lundy, air: “Woodman Spare that Tree,” with colored illustrations: sailor and woman under a U.S. flag with motto “The Union Forever,” and seal of New York; back of sheet is lined

.13 “The Flag of Our Union,” with colored illustrations: woman standing under U.S. flag with motto “For the Union,” and seal of Delaware; back of sheet is lined

.14 “Hail Columbia” and “America,” with colored illustrations: two Indians under U.S. flag with motto “For the Union,” and seal of Minnesota

Lettersheets (city views, maps, patriotic themes, etc.):

68x102 .1 “Louisville, Ky.” [same as 73x225];

.2 “Birds-eye View of Cincinnati,”

.3 “Toledo, O.”

all black & white on plain notepaper

73x224 “Norfolk, Portsmouth, Va.,” black & white on plain notepaper

73x225 “Louisville, Ky.”; black & white on plain notepaper [same as 68x102.1]

77x104 “Charleston, S.C.”: 4 views (1 large, 3 small) of Charleston and environs, black and white on plain notepaper

[someone has penciled in identifications of the three small views: Ashley River, Eastern Railroad, and Fort Sumter – actually a view of Charleston from the fort]

77x503 “Declaration of Independence, July 4 1776.” illustration from Trumbull painting; marked "sold by Charles Magnus 12 Frankfort Street, New York, I.W. Baumann sculpt." black & white on plain notepaper [for another copy, see 01x142.4]

77x504 “Harrisburg, Pa (Bridgeport),” color on plain notepaper

77x505 “Philadelphia,” marked "exec by G.G. Lange Darmstadt,"

black & white on plain notepaper

[for color version see 79x258.9]

77x506 “Birds Eye View of the City of Philadelphia with Environs,” marked "Engd by J.Serz. Phila"; subtitle in German; black & white on plain notepaper

77x514 “Washington, D.C.” [view of an alternate design for Washington Monument]; black & white on plain paper

77x608 “United-States Firemen,” with their fire engine in front of their firehouse and other buildings; the firehouse is labeled Eagle Hose Co. no. 2, organized Oct. 1831; black & white on plain notepaper

[for colored version, see 04x69.7]

77x609 four views of Niagara Falls: two views of the suspension bridge, the Horse Shoe Falls (with a lighthouse), and the American Falls; black & white on plain notepaper

77x610 “Niagara Falls, Canadian Side,” black & white on plain notepaper

[for a colored version of this print see 99x32.10]

[77x609 and 77x610 are mounted on opposite sides of the same sheet of paper]

80x143 “Birds-eye View of Cincinnati,” color on plain notepaper

82x243 “View of Washington City” [and] “Military Map of Maryland & Virginia,” city view in black & white, map in color; both on front of plain notepaper

82x244 “Cincinnati” [and] a steamboat, under which is printed a motto for “Buckeye State Patriots”; color vignettes on small plain sheet

82x245 “Fortifications on Price's Hill, Cincinnati, Ohio,” color picture with cannons in foreground, steamboats on river in middle ground, and city in background; small plain sheet

91x82 .1 “Cleveland,” "exec by G.G. Lange Darmstadt"; black & white on plain notepaper;

.2 “Bowling Green,” [Ohio?] "Lith of Cha Magnus N Yk"; color on plain paper;

.3 “Ottawa City Canada West;” color on plain paper;

.4 “Birds-eye View of Cincinnati,” color on plain paper;

.5 “Philadelphia,” [like 77x506 but in color], on lined paper;

.6 “Rochester;” black & white on plain paper, "exec by G.G. Lange Darmstadt”;

.7 “Norfolk, Portsmouth, Va.” [same as 73x224], black and white on plain paper

94x27 .1 “Milwaukee,” black & white on plain paper;

.2 “Troy, N.Y.,:” black & white on folded sheet;

.3 “Hamilton, C.W.,” black & white on folded paper;

.4 “Halifax,” black & white on folded sheet;

.5 “Kingston, Lake Ontario (Ontario See),” black & white on folded sheet

94x70 .1 “Schutzenhalls, Festhalls und Gabentempel des Dritten Amerikanischen Bundes-Schiessens.” black & white pictures of stadium-like building and of long narrow covered pier

.2 “Map of the City of Albany.” street map, with districts in different colors

95x57.1 “Prescott From Ogensburgh Harbour.” Black and white on folded paper

[for another copy see 99x73.1 for colored version see 99x32.1]

96x75 “Birds Eye View of Egg Harbor City, N.J.” color engraving, dated 1866

97x38 “U.S. Patent Office, Washington,” colored engraving on plain folded paper.

98x46 “New Orleans,” black and white view showing many ships (mostly sailing ships, some steamboats) on the Mississippi River.

99x73 .1 “Prescott from Ogdenburgh Harbour,” black and white on plain folded paper [see also 95x57.1 and note there]

.2